What Are We
by WinterErica
Summary: With titans in the city, drama coming to play, and injuries to be healed, Armin's got a lot more to worry about than a normal teen.


What Are We?

**Hi, everyone! Sooooo…. It's mainly Armin X Erwin and Levi X Eren. ****Please review and comment on anything! BYE**

X

There was something about the way the young cadet composed himself. Something that brought the older commander's attention back to him over and over and over again. Maybe it was the way the boy swayed his hips when he walked, or the way a soft smile would curl the edges of his plush pink lips, or perhaps it was the way his velvet blonde hair blew in the late summer wind.

Captain Erwin Smith sat at his desk peering down at the new requites with wistful eyes. The 104'th trainee squad was like no other squad he's taught before, much less seen before. Unlike many of the other groups, these… teenagers acted like children. They had the will to laugh with each other, to argue with one another, and they had the strength to joke around during the midst of war.

Back in his days, the commander acted very similar to them. He was a wild boy, easy to talk to, yet somehow, at the same time, he was a ruthless fighter. He grew up in the wealthiest city, Sina, in one of the largest houses constructed. He had dozens of servants waiting to serve him, and lines of suitors that reached past Wall Rose. Yet, for whatever reason, he decided to leave his promised life of wealth and safety for one filled with sorrow and loss.

Erwin was so lost in his thoughts that he did not even hear the large oak doors open, nor did he see the small raven haired man walk up to his desk. A heavy stack of papers hit the table with a satisfying thump.

"Yo, Erwin, shitty glasses and I came up with a solution for the war with the MP—," Levi stated, but was cut short when he saw that Erwin had not even noticed him. "Oy, fat fuck, what the hell are you staring at-."

This time, it was Erwin who cut him off. He stood from his desk abruptly, and walked out of the doors. Levi's left eye twitched. However, as he was about to storm after Erwin to give him a good whack or two for leaving him like that, he caught sight of a very small figure lying on the ground outside.

X

The cadets have been outside for hours grooming and bathing their horses. Captain Levi had informed them that he wanted all the horses to be ready to see the king. Next week, all of the regiments were forced to go to the Wall of Rose Sina to dine with the king. Which meant the Scouting Legion would be seeing their mortal enemies, the Military Police. The new requites were told to enjoy their last few hours of freedom before tomorrow. For the past few days, the 104'th squad has noticed many fine tailors arriving from Wall Sina with satin and silk, getting themselves ready to tailor 21 young men and women, not including the instructors.

By young men and women, the teens realized that there are exactly 21 members in their squad. When they went to ask their Corporal about it, the man simply told them that it was nothing more fancy that their uniforms.

Armin was particularly nervous about this upcoming event. The others had already told him to not sweat about it; however, the anxiety was building up slowly. In fact, he was so into his thoughts that he'd not even seen the crazed horse come galloping his way. Everything was fine, until he saw black.

X

"You little shit faces! Now what the hell are we supposed to do?" Their Captain was scolding them again. It's not like they meant to let the horse out into the grazing meadow where Armin was riding his horse. It's not like they knew the horse would see a snake and freak out. Mostly importantly, it's not like they knew that the frightened horse would kick Armin in the guts.

Now the poor boy was lying in the infirmary still coughing up buckets of blood, trying to find peace within his body.

"Poor boy, can't even sit up," Bertrolt said. He caught eyes with Sasha and they burst into laughter. Soon, the rest of them joined shaking with uncontrollable laughter.

Levi grabbed Eren's ear and pulled him down to his lips and whispered to Eren: "THAT is not our only problem. What our problems is that WE won't have a left hand man during the ceremony and I will not let the fucking MP look better than us!"

By the last sentence, Levi had already broken his aloof and expressionless act, yelling at them all. Suddenly, the infirmary door opened and a very tired looking Erwin stepped out of the room.

"Well?" Levi said, releasing Eren.

Erwin sighed. "He's not doing so well."

"So, we're not going to have a left hand man?"Levi gritted his teeth.

Erwin sighed again. "Unfortunately, Armin still wants to honor the king at the ceremony so…."

Silence.

"Well if Armin is going to attend the ceremony then we need someone who's Armin's size for the tailoring," Erwin said. "If I'm correct, Armin is 163 cm (5.3 ft) so that makes Levi closest to his height."

To everyone's surprise, Levi responded with a simple: "I don't mind it."

"Then it's settled. Everyone, you should all get to bed. We have a very long week ahead of us!"

X

In the middle of the night, Eren wakes up startled. In his dream, his mother caressed his hair gently, cooing to him in German, then, her soft fingers started to drip with blood pouring down onto his face and clothes. He sat up panting and sweating, the sheets out of place and his night clothes stuck to his skin. He felt the mattress next to him craving the warmth and scent of the smaller boy however, all he felt was the neatly folded bed sheets cold without the touch of another body. He sat up hugging his head with his hands, shaking, and quietly whispering Armin's name. He felt a pair of arms encircle him, and found that it was Connie and the rest of the boys trying to comfort him. He fell asleep letting them cradle him to sleep.

X

Armin woke up that morning oddly warm since outside was howling with snow. Slowly, he opened his eyes, letting them adjust to the soft lighting in the room that was reflected off by the dim sunlight. He looked around the room trying to remember exactly why he was in the infirmary. He stifled a gasp when he found the Commander of the Survey Corps nuzzling his face into Armin's soft stomach. The heat from Erwin radiated onto Armin's torso, blossoming towards the rest of his body.

"He stayed with you for the whole night, you know?"

Hanji stood at the doorway smiling, an expressionless Levi behind her. Armin, not knowing what to say, nodded his head. He was about to say something more, to ask about the upcoming ceremony, but was cut off by Levi.

"Don't worry about today, we've got you covered, and don't you dare think about standing up at all for the next five days," he said with a little huff.

At that moment, Erwin woke, rubbing his eyes and yawning. He looked at Armin with tender eyes.

"Good morning Armin," he said. Levi cleared his throat. "Hello, Levi, Hanji."

Levi snorted and turned away. "Love you too, Levi." His commander was really getting up his ass. He turned and left the room after saying, "at least you, Armin, have manners, the others are like pigs."

X

True to his words, the other cadets were like pigs. They couldn't even use silverware properly. Levi knew that he couldn't blame them though; he was just like them when he came in to the survey corps. Actually, he was even worse; he hadn't even touched silverware before. These kids have used these, yet, they kept forgetting which spoon was for the soup and which was for the dessert. Oh, how fast Sasha Braus had come running when they the cadets that there would be a feast in honor of the King.

Levi checked his watch, it was half past four. Earlier, they have all been getting ready to see the king and Levi went hardcore on them, making them walk with books on their head, tying them to their chairs, and forcing them to use napkins instead of their clothes. It was horrible. They were taught to say a line to greet the King, including it is_ a pleasure to meet you_ and _curtsey to his Majesty._ Jean, Marco, and Krista had no trouble learning these lines, however, Eren, Mikasa, and Annie couldn't even remember the first word of the sentences. Reiner, Bertrolt, Connie, Sasha, and Ymir had trouble, but they could recite the lines with caution. By the end of the day, they were all ready to collapse onto the ground and sleep.

At dinner, they quickly shoveled down their food and went off in separate directions to shower.

X

Eren was both physically and mentally exhausted. He was covered in sweat and dirt, his mind strained from too much use. He was never a mentally challenged person, however, these exercises that the Corporal gave them made him feel so stupid. If Armin was here, he'd totally love today, it was everything that he excelled at. Eren regrets not paying attention to his mother when she taught Mikasa, Armin and him about table manners and words of curtsey. _Oh mom, if you're watching now, you'd either be laughing or shaking you're head; on the second thought, maybe both._

X

Four days went by in blur; Connie remembers some vague training on some table manners or something. Levi said today would be fun; Connie wondered what that would be. It was odd that nobody came to wake them this morning. The cut on his ring finger hurt and each movement was painful. Usually, Levi would hustle them up in the morning at 5 or 6 AM and make them wolf down their meals. Connie was heading to the mess hall today at 8 AM with the other boys.

When they arrived, they were surprised to find Corporal Levi standing behind the serving table scrapping fresh grilled cheese sandwiches off the griddle, pilling them onto the serving plate. What was even more amusing was that he wore a frilly pink apron over the most casual clothes they'd ever seen him in, a plain white shirt and a pair of soft black pants. Connie looked around him at the boys and girls, who just arrived, standing there as if trying to take in the sight in front of them.

"Well, are you going to stand there, or come over and serve yourselves, because I'm not a fucking maid," Levi said, absentmindedly. Upon hearing their Corporal swear, they all relaxed and went to serve themselves with hot grilled cheese sandwiches and tiramisu made by their kind corporal wearing a hot pink apron.

X

Levi really didn't think when he got up that morning to prepare breakfast for them. Why did he do it? Yesterday, while they were training, the boy, Connie, accidentally cut himself with the steak knife because everyone was yelling at the cadet. Levi felt bad, secretly he did. He knows that getting attached to these kids would only end up with tears. He'd felt it before, that moment of regret before the titans swallowed Isabelle and Farlan. He couldn't bear to see that again, but this squad, this new group of idiots touched his heart in a way that it practically melted to see one of them hurt. He was also pained by the fact that the genius boy, Armin was lying in a hospital cot, pale and drained of blood. He wanted to make it up to them for the yelling, training, hitting, and for today, because he knows that they'll all hate today.

He watched them eat; clutching his mug in both is freezing hands. The boy, Jaeger was staring at him again. He always did, when he thought that Levi was not noticing him, or when he was lost in thought, he stared at the corporal. Levi had to admit, he enjoyed those large green eyes transfixed on him, only him. He liked those soft chestnut curls, they way they looked so ragged, yet felt so soft. He's never really caressed it, only when he tugged at the brown locks. They felt soft even then.

He tore his thoughts away from Eren. The others weren't up yet. Hanji and Mike deserved a break, while Erwin had gone early to Sina to go over the plan for the ceremony. He watched the trio, Annie, Bertrolt, and Reiner eat gracefully because of the days of intense training. Annie looked so damn awkward holding the knife in right hand and fork in the other. Bertrolt looked better, if only he weren't that tall. Reiner, he…. He looked so damn big compared to the other two. Together, they were truly AWKWARD.

Levi's eyes moved on to Connie and Sasha. Connie looked in pain, holding the silverware with his injured hand; Sasha looked in bliss as she chomped on a grilled cheese sandwich. Jean and Marco were chatting quietly, probably about Armin; they are both really affectionate for him. Krista and Ymir were cuddled in each other eating slowly as if savoring their time together. Mikasa and Eren sat apart from the rest, across from each other and looking down, no doubt immensely worried for their hospitalized friend.

Levi adverted his gaze and stood up from his stool, walking towards the cadets.

"Today, will be another tiring day—," He began, they left out anguished groans. "However, it will not include physical exercise, but math."

He paused and looked around at their now confused faces.

"Today is the annual tailoring day. All of you will have a private tailor to help you get ready for the ceremony tomorrow.

X

Armin lay on the hospital cot twirling his finger in his hair. He was bored. There was only one more day until the ceremony and he couldn't walk without falling down in pain. The horse had broken some ribs and kicked him hard in the fleshy part of his stomach. Of course Captain Levi had told him that walking was not allowed, however, if he was to participate in the ceremony, he'd have to be ready to walk. He'd gotten up at 4 that morning and walked around the room until he collapsed onto the ground hissing in pain. He heard from Erwin that Levi would be the one to measure his clothes today, that he needn't worry about anything. What was odd was that Commander Erwin had patted Armin's cheek with the tenderest eyes he'd ever seen, the eyes that he only showed to Levi. Yes, Armin would admit, he has seen the two higher ups sharing a moment behind the stables, and yes, he has walked in on them at night when he wanted to ask Erwin about a formation plan.

Armin has loved the commander for the longest time. His friends have even teased him about it. Mikasa even teases about how it's obvious that Commander Erwin has taken a liking to him. Armin can't help but remember the warm arms that lifted him from the ground that day when he was taken to the infirmary. Or the blissful feeling of warmth that spread through his entire body when Erwin hugged him so close.

He sighed. Maybe commander Erwin only wants to treat him like all the other cadets.


End file.
